John Goodman Reflects on Fame and Career Post ‘Roseanne’

John Goodman, renowned for his role in the iconic sitcom Roseanne, recently shared insights into the challenges that came with his celebrity status. During a discussion with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Goodman, now 74, revealed being ‘frightened’ by the fame after his performance in Roseanne and other projects.

Goodman opened up about his regrets, wishing he had understood fame more comprehensively. ‘I wish I would have taken to it better,’ he said, admitting he didn’t manage fame well and considered himself his ‘own worst enemy.’

In a conversation with interviewer Joe Neumaier, Goodman reflected on his career trajectory during the late ’80s and early ’90s. He described the shift from being an independent actor to a well-known celebrity. ‘It changed,’ he recalled. He was advised to get a publicist as his fame surged, which he found difficult to handle. He explained, ‘I had a bad time dealing with how famous I got all of a sudden.’

Goodman detailed the necessity of navigating negotiations required in the film industry. Despite finding it challenging, he acknowledged the need to cooperate for a successful movie production.

Goodman shared that agreeing to do Roseanne relieved him from ‘living out of a suitcase’ and mentioned immediately hitting it off with co-star Roseanne Barr. The show, airing on ABC from 1988 to 1997, was a departure from other successful shows at the time, offering ‘sober reality’ instead of ‘wealth porn’ depicted in series like Dynasty and Dallas. ‘Just because we’re poor doesn’t make us stupid,’ Goodman quoted Barr, highlighting the show’s emphasis on family love and laughter.

Following Roseanne, Goodman featured in numerous successful films, including The Flintstones, The Big Lebowski, and Monsters Inc.. He returned to his role as Dan Conner in the 2018 reboot of Roseanne, which was canceled after one season. It ended due to Barr’s controversial social media remarks about Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Barack Obama.

Subsequently, ABC launched a spin-off titled The Conners without Barr, running 112 episodes from 2018 to 2025. Goodman concurrently worked on The Conners and The Righteous Gemstones. He shared with The Hollywood Reporter his initial belief that Roseanne‘s reboot would be brief. After Barr’s dismissal, he took up Righteous Gemstones.

Goodman also noted his estrangement from Barr, stating they hadn’t spoken in ‘about seven or eight years.’ In 2025, Barr expressed feeling ‘betrayed’ by Goodman during her podcast, The Roseanne Barr Podcast, due to his reduced presence in later seasons of the show.